Before we left, we were hoping that Italy would change our lives forever. We wanted a different perspective on people, the world, the U.S., and ourselves. We were warned of pickpockets and scams, but never had anything even attempted on us (other than a couple of cabbies increasing their fares 5-10 Euros). One thing that did surprise us was was the rudeness of the people we encountered in Rome. The first person we talked to in the airport was mean to us, and it was an appropriate harbinger of what was ahead. We were stared at, ignored by those we tried to talk to, and shoved by people passing. At meals, our servers made no secret of the contempt they held for us as we struggled with the local customs, or when we didn't order the most expensive menu items.
But we learned not to judge everyone from that. In Orvieto, we talked with many locals, and each one of them was friendly. We felt as though we were swooning as we walked down the gorgeous alleys, greeted by smiles at every turn. Interestingly, it was on our Underground Tour that we encountered the "Ugly American Tourist," that perhaps we are judged by.
There were only eight people on the tour: us, another couple, and a noisy family of four. They talked through the whole tour, drowning out our timid tour guide, and posing for photos in front of everything she was trying to show us. They had to make a joke about everything, and asked her inane questions about things she had all ready told us. Our favorite was when the boy asked "What do you mean this cave is 3,000 years old?! It's only 2009!"
But on the train to Venice, we came across another instance that once again changed our perspective. The most patient, helpful, and friendly passengers were all Americans. Any time we saw someone helping someone else out with figuring out the schedule, or lifting heavy luggage, or patiently waiting as other people shoved by, they invariably turned out to be Americans (despite how different they all looked). It began to change our minds again about Americans, Europeans, and people in general. We wanted to understand the Italian people while on our vacation, but what we came to understand is that everyone, everywhere is different. And in that way, we're all the same. :)
We also caught the travel bug. Although the plane rides here and there were brutal and the multiple security screens and customs checks were scary and confusing to first-timers, we survived it. And now we know we can survive it again. Over lunch in Florence, we discussed where we wanted to travel next. Greek Islands? German Castles? Irish Countryside? We don't know where, but we know we will visit Europe again.
And we won't do it alone. We had wonderful times by ourselves in Rome, Orvieto, and Venice, but our times with Emily and Mike were especially enjoyable. We felt more comfortable and confident. We wished that we had scheduled more time together. And while we could only imagine the difficulties we would incur had we brought along Madeleine, we know we would have made it work. We missed her so much. We are never going on another vacation without her ever again.
We owe so much to our parents for making this all possible. They all helped us out financially, and took excellent care of Madeleine while we were away. Hopefully our best way of repaying them (other than some souvenirs!) is by letting them know how immensely we enjoyed this gift they gave us. We'll never forget it.
Before we left, we were hoping that Italy would change our lives forever. Looking back, we know it did.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Pictures, part III
Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay, but we didn't have a fast enough internet connection to upload these in Italy. So, this final group of pictures covers Sunday's trip to Orvieto, Venice on Monday, Florence on Tuesday and Wednesday morning, and finally Fiumicino Wednesday evening.
Looks like we got off on the right stop:
That's Orvieto on the hill behind Chris:
Up the side of the hill on the Funicolare:
The Orvieto Duomo (with a tiny Chris in front of it):
We enjoyed some Orvieto Classico wine and Pistachio Gelato and a great view:
A preserved olive oil workroom in a cave:
The well (with the carved handholds):
Medieval pidgeon coop in the cave:
Emily just outside the entrance to the caves:
Our tour guide was kind enough to snap this photo of us:
And the view from that point:
Emily in one of the gorgeous little alleyways of Orvieto:
Il Mago di Oz (ironically, the only time he wasn't grinning from ear to ear):
Dinner at Trattoria la Grotta:
Yep, I just ate pidgeon:
Our very kind waiter:
Our last sight before going to sleep:
Backpacking out of town before dawn:
On the edge of the cliff:
Marta made us feel very welcome in Venice:
The key to our room:
A beautiful woman in a beautiful city:
Waiting for the Vaporetto:
Emily's ready to go chase pidgeons:
The Grand Canal by day:
And by night:
Our Gondolier:
And one very happy couple:
Now in Florence, so happy to back with Emily and Mike:
Donatello's haunting Maddalena:
Up and up and up we go to the top of the dome:
But it was worth the effort:
Mike and Emily at dinner:
Chris and Emily across the table:
Look at the smile this put on her face:
"Spaghetti" in Capitale di Cina restaurant:
Looking homeward across the sea:
Looks like we got off on the right stop:
That's Orvieto on the hill behind Chris:
Up the side of the hill on the Funicolare:
The Orvieto Duomo (with a tiny Chris in front of it):
We enjoyed some Orvieto Classico wine and Pistachio Gelato and a great view:
A preserved olive oil workroom in a cave:
The well (with the carved handholds):
Medieval pidgeon coop in the cave:
Emily just outside the entrance to the caves:
Our tour guide was kind enough to snap this photo of us:
And the view from that point:
Emily in one of the gorgeous little alleyways of Orvieto:
Il Mago di Oz (ironically, the only time he wasn't grinning from ear to ear):
Dinner at Trattoria la Grotta:
Yep, I just ate pidgeon:
Our very kind waiter:
Our last sight before going to sleep:
Backpacking out of town before dawn:
On the edge of the cliff:
Marta made us feel very welcome in Venice:
The key to our room:
A beautiful woman in a beautiful city:
Waiting for the Vaporetto:
Emily's ready to go chase pidgeons:
The Grand Canal by day:
And by night:
Our Gondolier:
And one very happy couple:
Now in Florence, so happy to back with Emily and Mike:
Donatello's haunting Maddalena:
Up and up and up we go to the top of the dome:
But it was worth the effort:
Mike and Emily at dinner:
Chris and Emily across the table:
Look at the smile this put on her face:
"Spaghetti" in Capitale di Cina restaurant:
Looking homeward across the sea:
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Filthy Florence and Fiumicino
In our guidebook, we're told that you don't really see Florence if you never leave the city center. We can see why we were encouraged to do so. The tiny slice of Florence we encountered was dirty, busy, and unfriendly. However, it's hard to judge the city just on that, since we saw the equivalent of Salt Lake's Rio Grande station - Gateway Mall - Temple Square. If you only saw that, you would probably think that Salt Lake was covered in garbage and homeless people. Parts of downtown are, but the rest of the city is clean and beautiful.
One nice thing that section of Salt Lake has over this section of Florence - bigger sidewalks. Everywhere we went we were in danger of being rundown by a car, bus, scooter, or group of tourists. It was more than a bit hectic until we found our hotel and met up with Mike and Emily again. Our hotel was nice, especially considering the surrounding neighborhood, and we unpacked and settled for just a moment. Then Emily and Mike took us through the crowded market streets. It was reminiscient of Tijuana or New York's Chinatown. Aggressive vendors approaching you from their booths and offering incredible deals. I bought a sorely needed belt - my pants were sagging after days of wear - and Emily browsed for a purse. There was one she was almost sold on, and the vendor began holding a lighter to it, to show how it didn't burn. She left a black mark on the "leather." We said no, but she desperately tried to convince us that it was not there. Then she began rubbing handcream on it, to show us how it washes out. It was still there. Then she told us it was just the way it looked in the sunlight. Then she brought the price down 50%. Then she tried getting mad at us for not taking her amazing offer. But we were adamantly walking away from her the entire time. Finally she learned that we were not buying.
We really weren't in the mood to deal with the scene, so we got out of the market area and headed towards th Duomo. We saw Ghiberti's bronze doors on the Baptistery of St. John, and we were able to get right in to the Duomo itself. But inside was pretty bare, supposedly due to a flood years ago. We visited the Duomo museum, which had a couple of pretty amazing pieces. One was a Pieta by Michaelangelo, with Nicodemus holding Jesus's body. The face of Nicodemus is thought to be a self portrait of Michaelangelo.
The other statue was Mary Magdalene by Donatello. This one kind of freaked us out, since there was just a sort of liveliness to it that you felt that she was going to look over to you at any second.
Emily and Emily patiently waited outside, and deftly fended off creepy men, as Mike and I climbed all 463 steps to the top of the Cupola of the Duomo. The stone staircases went around and around and around and we had to stop a couple times to stop our heads from spinning. When we finally reached the top, we were blown away. I would have gladly climbed another 463 for that view. The whole city of Florence stretched out to the Tuscan hillsides all around us. All of the tourists, ourselves included, were scurrying from side to side, snapping photos with the bittersweet knowledge that none of them would ever capture such a feeling.
Then, back down the 463 to meet up with the girls. The sun had set and now the air had gone from stuffy and hot to inescapably cold. So, back to our hotel for some warmer clothes and then back out again in search of a restaurant. The first one we tried was all booked, but the second one welcomed us right in. We sat at a table near the back and ordered the specials of the day - Gorgonzola Gnocchi and Straccheti (beef in garlic and olive oil). It was so much fun being back with Emily and Mike again. We worried less and enjoyed the vacation more when we were with them. We stuffed ourselved full of Tuscan cuisine, and then went back to our rooms. That night we got to talk with Madeleine over the webcam. I think we've traced it back to that exact point where we felt that we were ready to be home. We miss her so much.
So, our last full day in Italy started off with one of the greatest sights we've visited: The David. It's a little hard to explain why it is so fascinating, but we'll try. While we've been looking at other statues, we have been saying to each other "Look at this. This looks great. What can possibly be so much better about the David?" Well, for some reason, the David is so beautiful, so perfect, and so full of life, that it makes every other statue look like... well... statues. It is probably somewhere between 2-3 times life size, but its size is not impressive in a massive Statue of Liberty type of way, but more in an appropriately awe-inspiring way. It's almost like it's just the right size for the larger-than-life legend surrounding it.
Also in the same museum, we saw some old and beautiful instruments, including a Stradivarius violin and a Cristofori piano. We checked out of the hotel and said goodbye to Emily and Mike again, this time for good. They were planning on adding even more sites into their vacation, including the Leaning Tower of Pisa, so hopefully at this time they're sleeping happily in some tiny city along the Italian Riviera. We had some time for shopping before leaving town. We avoided the markets this time, and stuck to storefronts. We found a beautiful little Easter dress for Madeleine, and a funky, stylish purse for Emily. Now, we missed our chance to do one silly thing (see the zoo in Rome), but now we had a chance to do another: eat Chinese food in Italy. We had been wondering how the Italian take on Chinese food was, and how it differed from America's. While there were no fundamental differences, it definitely tasted as though the food was higher quality. We can't be sure, but it seems as though Italy's food quality standards are stricter than America's. Even when we had a quick McDonald's breakfast while changing trains, we noticed a difference in how good the food tasted. Nowhere, though, was it more obvious than it was at the Chinese restaurant. Emily had the Sweet & Sour Pork, and I had the Lemon Chicken, and we filled ourselves until we couldn't eat another bite.
The train to Rome felt like it took forever, but it was probably our own homesickness that was making it seem so. In Rome we had to transfer to trains to get us out towards the airport and Fiumicino. The airport is very confusing for those who aren't familiar, and we walked in circles for nearly an hour before we finally found a taxi to take us to our hotel. We're pretty sure he ripped us off too (his meter was never on), but we've just gotten so weary of having to argue with rude Italians that we paid the 25 Euro and hurried into our hotel.
Our hotel is nothing special, but we do have a view out over the Tyrrhenian Sea. After getting our bags ready for the flight, we went and dipped our toes in the water. It's the first time either of us have ever seen the Mediterranean. Then we got pizzas and a gyro from a friendly shop on the waterfront. Other than a couple of mildly upsetting encounters with our hotel management, everything is has been pleasant and relaxing. Now we're off to sleep before our flight tomorrow. We can't wait to be back with all of you tomorrow night! Arrivederci!!!
One nice thing that section of Salt Lake has over this section of Florence - bigger sidewalks. Everywhere we went we were in danger of being rundown by a car, bus, scooter, or group of tourists. It was more than a bit hectic until we found our hotel and met up with Mike and Emily again. Our hotel was nice, especially considering the surrounding neighborhood, and we unpacked and settled for just a moment. Then Emily and Mike took us through the crowded market streets. It was reminiscient of Tijuana or New York's Chinatown. Aggressive vendors approaching you from their booths and offering incredible deals. I bought a sorely needed belt - my pants were sagging after days of wear - and Emily browsed for a purse. There was one she was almost sold on, and the vendor began holding a lighter to it, to show how it didn't burn. She left a black mark on the "leather." We said no, but she desperately tried to convince us that it was not there. Then she began rubbing handcream on it, to show us how it washes out. It was still there. Then she told us it was just the way it looked in the sunlight. Then she brought the price down 50%. Then she tried getting mad at us for not taking her amazing offer. But we were adamantly walking away from her the entire time. Finally she learned that we were not buying.
We really weren't in the mood to deal with the scene, so we got out of the market area and headed towards th Duomo. We saw Ghiberti's bronze doors on the Baptistery of St. John, and we were able to get right in to the Duomo itself. But inside was pretty bare, supposedly due to a flood years ago. We visited the Duomo museum, which had a couple of pretty amazing pieces. One was a Pieta by Michaelangelo, with Nicodemus holding Jesus's body. The face of Nicodemus is thought to be a self portrait of Michaelangelo.
The other statue was Mary Magdalene by Donatello. This one kind of freaked us out, since there was just a sort of liveliness to it that you felt that she was going to look over to you at any second.
Emily and Emily patiently waited outside, and deftly fended off creepy men, as Mike and I climbed all 463 steps to the top of the Cupola of the Duomo. The stone staircases went around and around and around and we had to stop a couple times to stop our heads from spinning. When we finally reached the top, we were blown away. I would have gladly climbed another 463 for that view. The whole city of Florence stretched out to the Tuscan hillsides all around us. All of the tourists, ourselves included, were scurrying from side to side, snapping photos with the bittersweet knowledge that none of them would ever capture such a feeling.
Then, back down the 463 to meet up with the girls. The sun had set and now the air had gone from stuffy and hot to inescapably cold. So, back to our hotel for some warmer clothes and then back out again in search of a restaurant. The first one we tried was all booked, but the second one welcomed us right in. We sat at a table near the back and ordered the specials of the day - Gorgonzola Gnocchi and Straccheti (beef in garlic and olive oil). It was so much fun being back with Emily and Mike again. We worried less and enjoyed the vacation more when we were with them. We stuffed ourselved full of Tuscan cuisine, and then went back to our rooms. That night we got to talk with Madeleine over the webcam. I think we've traced it back to that exact point where we felt that we were ready to be home. We miss her so much.
So, our last full day in Italy started off with one of the greatest sights we've visited: The David. It's a little hard to explain why it is so fascinating, but we'll try. While we've been looking at other statues, we have been saying to each other "Look at this. This looks great. What can possibly be so much better about the David?" Well, for some reason, the David is so beautiful, so perfect, and so full of life, that it makes every other statue look like... well... statues. It is probably somewhere between 2-3 times life size, but its size is not impressive in a massive Statue of Liberty type of way, but more in an appropriately awe-inspiring way. It's almost like it's just the right size for the larger-than-life legend surrounding it.
Also in the same museum, we saw some old and beautiful instruments, including a Stradivarius violin and a Cristofori piano. We checked out of the hotel and said goodbye to Emily and Mike again, this time for good. They were planning on adding even more sites into their vacation, including the Leaning Tower of Pisa, so hopefully at this time they're sleeping happily in some tiny city along the Italian Riviera. We had some time for shopping before leaving town. We avoided the markets this time, and stuck to storefronts. We found a beautiful little Easter dress for Madeleine, and a funky, stylish purse for Emily. Now, we missed our chance to do one silly thing (see the zoo in Rome), but now we had a chance to do another: eat Chinese food in Italy. We had been wondering how the Italian take on Chinese food was, and how it differed from America's. While there were no fundamental differences, it definitely tasted as though the food was higher quality. We can't be sure, but it seems as though Italy's food quality standards are stricter than America's. Even when we had a quick McDonald's breakfast while changing trains, we noticed a difference in how good the food tasted. Nowhere, though, was it more obvious than it was at the Chinese restaurant. Emily had the Sweet & Sour Pork, and I had the Lemon Chicken, and we filled ourselves until we couldn't eat another bite.
The train to Rome felt like it took forever, but it was probably our own homesickness that was making it seem so. In Rome we had to transfer to trains to get us out towards the airport and Fiumicino. The airport is very confusing for those who aren't familiar, and we walked in circles for nearly an hour before we finally found a taxi to take us to our hotel. We're pretty sure he ripped us off too (his meter was never on), but we've just gotten so weary of having to argue with rude Italians that we paid the 25 Euro and hurried into our hotel.
Our hotel is nothing special, but we do have a view out over the Tyrrhenian Sea. After getting our bags ready for the flight, we went and dipped our toes in the water. It's the first time either of us have ever seen the Mediterranean. Then we got pizzas and a gyro from a friendly shop on the waterfront. Other than a couple of mildly upsetting encounters with our hotel management, everything is has been pleasant and relaxing. Now we're off to sleep before our flight tomorrow. We can't wait to be back with all of you tomorrow night! Arrivederci!!!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Day and Night in Venice
Venice was another up and down day. Stepping out of the train station, we were presented with the Grand Canal. By this point, we've run out of different ways to describe how beautiful Italy is, so we've got to just stop trying. The Grand Canal was beautiful. We got on a crowded vaporetto and cruised down the Canal, under the Rialto Bridge, to our stop at the Accademia gallery. We had to guess which way our hotel was, but luck led us right to it. We rung the bell at the gate, and above us a small voice called out "Buon Giorno!" and we saw a little lady peeking out of a second story window. She buzzed the gate open, and met us down at the front door. As she led us inside and up the staircase, she was twittering like a bird, on and on in unintelligible Italian. Her name was Marta and she knew just enough English and I knew just enough Italian that we were able to get checked in and settled. She informed us that her credit card machine was not functioning, so we'd have to pay cash. Also, she told us to say hi to our sister Emily, who had just checked out of our room a few hours ago. Our room was elegant and old. It felt as though noblemen once lived here. For the first and only time on our vacation, the bathroom was not in our room, but instead across the front room. It was cozy and clean and not at all a problem for us.
Emily put on a beautiful dress and we headed out onto the city. The vaporetto brought us to Piazza San Marco and Emily chased pidgeons across the cobblestone. It was late enough that we were able to walk right in to St. Mark's Basilica and view the interesting, Turkish-looking church all decorated in brown and gold mosaics. We decided to take a stroll around the glass shops, but unfortunately, every ATM we tried wouldn't give us any money. We didn't even have enough cash on us to cover our hotel room, much less a gondola ride, glass souvenirs, or even dinner. We were getting hungry and it was getting dark. Panic began to set in. Back at our room, we talked with my mom about getting us some money, and she lovingly put all her effort into helping her poor children overseas. She told us about the terrible earthquake, and we wondered if that was to blame for the credit card and communication troubles (we had a hard time getting a hold of my mom or Emily & Mike). Before that, the only time we'd heard of it was when a lady at the train station in Orvieto asked us casually if we felt it last night.
Eventually the money kinks worked out, and we had just enough cash for the room and a Gondola, and a tiny bit for dinner. We hurriedly purchased some Murano glass souvenirs before the last of the little shops closed (using our card to pay), and sought out a restaurant. The first one we sat down in seemed ok, but soon those warning signs began popping up: Interesting decor, near a tourist site, room full of Americans. The server brought us menus and we knew it was no good. All English, all combo meals, and worse yet: it had pictures. We couldn't believe our eyes, but the last picture was of lasanga in a microwaveable tray! Thinking quickly, we faked a cell phone call with poor reception, and ran out the door and down the avenue, our server watching us in wonderment.
Eventually we found a sit down place that would accept our card. The food was ok and the price was low, and we got in and out quick enough to catch one of the last Gondoliers before he retired for the night. Venice was a ghost town by this hour. The shops were closed, the avenues were empy, and the once bustling Grand Canal was now still and dark. We glided over the black water, peacful and romantic. Our Gondolier gave us the tour in a hushed voice, pointing out the buildings and their glowing reflections in the water. The moon came out overhead as we slipped down a small side canal. Under bridges and past vacant palaces, we swooned over Venice. Our ride came to an end back at the Accademia bridge, and soon we were asleep in our beautiful room.
Early the next morning we had a wonderful breakfast of croissants and bread with nutella, then we took our last vaporetto ride back to the train station and said Ciao to Venice.
Emily put on a beautiful dress and we headed out onto the city. The vaporetto brought us to Piazza San Marco and Emily chased pidgeons across the cobblestone. It was late enough that we were able to walk right in to St. Mark's Basilica and view the interesting, Turkish-looking church all decorated in brown and gold mosaics. We decided to take a stroll around the glass shops, but unfortunately, every ATM we tried wouldn't give us any money. We didn't even have enough cash on us to cover our hotel room, much less a gondola ride, glass souvenirs, or even dinner. We were getting hungry and it was getting dark. Panic began to set in. Back at our room, we talked with my mom about getting us some money, and she lovingly put all her effort into helping her poor children overseas. She told us about the terrible earthquake, and we wondered if that was to blame for the credit card and communication troubles (we had a hard time getting a hold of my mom or Emily & Mike). Before that, the only time we'd heard of it was when a lady at the train station in Orvieto asked us casually if we felt it last night.
Eventually the money kinks worked out, and we had just enough cash for the room and a Gondola, and a tiny bit for dinner. We hurriedly purchased some Murano glass souvenirs before the last of the little shops closed (using our card to pay), and sought out a restaurant. The first one we sat down in seemed ok, but soon those warning signs began popping up: Interesting decor, near a tourist site, room full of Americans. The server brought us menus and we knew it was no good. All English, all combo meals, and worse yet: it had pictures. We couldn't believe our eyes, but the last picture was of lasanga in a microwaveable tray! Thinking quickly, we faked a cell phone call with poor reception, and ran out the door and down the avenue, our server watching us in wonderment.
Eventually we found a sit down place that would accept our card. The food was ok and the price was low, and we got in and out quick enough to catch one of the last Gondoliers before he retired for the night. Venice was a ghost town by this hour. The shops were closed, the avenues were empy, and the once bustling Grand Canal was now still and dark. We glided over the black water, peacful and romantic. Our Gondolier gave us the tour in a hushed voice, pointing out the buildings and their glowing reflections in the water. The moon came out overhead as we slipped down a small side canal. Under bridges and past vacant palaces, we swooned over Venice. Our ride came to an end back at the Accademia bridge, and soon we were asleep in our beautiful room.
Early the next morning we had a wonderful breakfast of croissants and bread with nutella, then we took our last vaporetto ride back to the train station and said Ciao to Venice.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Bellissimo Orvieto
This morning Emily caught up on some sleep while I attended Palm Sunday mass at Basilica San Clemente. It was so interesting to me to attend a mass spoken in Italian. Surprisingly, there were only about 20 people in attendance, and several of them appeared to be tourists like me. We stood out in the courtyard and collected our "palm" branches (which looked more like olive branches to me) then entered the Basilica behind the priest. In front of the altar there was a raised marble area with two rows of uncomfortable wooden benches on either side, facing each other instead of the altar. It seemed like this is where the medieval noblemen used to sit, while the commoners filled the pews in the rest of the church.
Following the mass in Italian wasn't too difficult. The Gospel was the reading of the Passion, so I was familiar enough with the story to figure it out. I had to say the mass in English in my head to remember where we were at (including all the parts where Dad and I would play music), and I watched the old lady near the front for my cues when to stand, sit, or kneel.
After mass, we packed up, checked out of the hotel and took the Metro to the train station. The lady at the ticket window was fantastically rude to us, and did the absolute bare minimum to help us. We had some questions, but she made it clear she wanted nothing more to do with us. She told us just to take our ticket to the train and get on. Well, that wasn't all we needed. As we found out while en route to Orvieto, we were supposed to write in the date on our ticket before boarding, or pay a 50 Euro fine. Fortunately, the man checking our ticket on board let us off with a warning, but thanks, ticket-window lady, for warning us!
The trip was hectic, as we were feeling very helpless in a foreign land. Our experience at the train station in Rome was (hopefully) the low point of the trip. People were rude and impatient and we just wanted to find a corner and hide in it. Fortunately, Orvieto changed everything.
Some of you have been kind enough to tell us what a good job we're doing in describing our trip. But for Orvieto, I don't think we can write eloquently enough to paint a truthful picture. It was heaven. The Funicolare brought us up the hill to the ancient-looking city full of cobblestone alleyways and views of the valleys of Tuscany. The bus took us on a short trip to the center of town - the Duomo. The cathedral here will probably be the smallest of all the ones we'll visit, but it made the biggest impression. The outside is ornately decorated in green, red, and white marble, and the inside had early rennaissance frescoes along every wall. In a side chapel there was a cloth stained with blood that had miraculously dripped from the Eucharist. After about a half hour inside, we sat at a table just across the piazza and had gelato and a glass of the local Orvieto Classico wine.
Next up was a tour of a couple of ancient Etruscan caves. Cut into the soft volcanic stone under the city, there are about 1,200 different caves on the hill. The first one we saw was originally an Etruscan temple that had since been expanded out to make room for an olive press. We saw the mill on which the olives were squished and the press where the olive oil was then pushed out from the mix. There was also a deep and narrow well, about 90 meters long. It was dug by some brave Etruscan 3000 years ago. He had to climb down and up the full length of the well using rough notches he carved in the side as hand and footholds. The rest of the cave was simply a quarry, dug by hand, for material for making concrete.
The second cave was a series of columbaria's - pidgeon coops. The citizens of Orvieto used to raise homing pidgeons here for food. The coops were just large caves with hundreds of little holes dug out of the sides to create rooms for the pidgeons to sleep. Steep and scary staircases led from the surface down to here.
After the tour we walked around town, trying to avoid the tourist-packed main street, and taking artsy pictures in the back alleyways. We found a couple of shops and got some good souvenir shopping done. We stopped back at the hotel for a nap, then back out again for dinner.
On our way to a restaurant we spotted earlier, we saw an interesting lighted sign for "Il Mago di Oz" - The Wizard of Oz. A very kind old man invited us in and we couldn't believe our eyes. It was a magical little toy store, filled to the brim with mechanical inventions of amazing creativity. Although he didn't speak any English, the Mago could tell how fascinated we were, and proceeded to put on a display. He began flipping switch after switch, and all the ornate creations sprung to life. There were carousels modeled after Coney island that turned around and around, Carnival rides from England that sang songs, and a reproduction of the Ferris wheel in Moscow that lit up. To name only a few! Then he showed us the piece that floored us. It was a tiny stage, and the curtains pulled back to reveal miniature ballerinas dancing to Tchaikovsky's March from the Nutcracker. The set was a faithful reproduction of the real one. The curtain closed and we applauded, but he gestured for us to keep watching. The curtains opened again and the set had changed, and now new ballerinas twirled to the Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy. There were four scenes in all, including the Russian Dance and the scene with the lady with the huge dress. Now I need to save up the money to have him build one for our family!
We were almost drunk with joy as we left his place, and it was just a short walk to the restaurant - Trattoria del Grotto. Here we were welcomed warmly by the two old men running the place. We ordered a mixed appetizer of Salami, Bruschetta, and Prosciutto. We decided to be daring with our entree selections. Emily had the Ravioli with Black Truffle Sauce. And I went with something I would only find in Oriveto: Piccione alla Olive - Pidgeon in Olive Sauce! The meals were amazing. Our server was kind enough to recommend a well-paired red wine for us and we sat and talked and tried our best to soak in every aspect of this paradise town. After helpings of Tiramisu and a complimentary shot of Limoncello, we paid our bill and headed back to the hotel. Now the main street was calm and quiet, and we walked home in the dark. Behind us we heard someone call out Signore! We turned to see our server catching up to us. He tried to explain in Italian that they had given us the wrong change at the restaurant, and they actually owed us 10 Euro! We couldn't quite explain our gratitude in English, but we think he got the point. We asked for a photo with him, to help us always remember. Afterwards he gave us hugs and kisses and bid us Buona Notte.
Our hotel was clean and modern and the staff was friendly and helpful. When we informed them of our early morning train, they set about checking bus, Funicolare, and taxi schedules to make sure that we would get there on time. The hotel had the smallest elevator we have ever seen. With both of us in it with our packs on, the hotelier almost couldn't fit in with us. Thank goodness she was a tiny lady!
We set out early in the morning - 6:30 - but realized that no place was open to buy a bus ticket. Orvieto is such a small town anyways, we decided just to walk to the Funicolare and admire the city before dawn. We're glad we did. From there it has been smooth sailing. Right down the side of the hill to the train station, first train to Florence, transfer there (and have the best McDonald's breakfast ever), and now we're on the high speed train to Venice.
Following the mass in Italian wasn't too difficult. The Gospel was the reading of the Passion, so I was familiar enough with the story to figure it out. I had to say the mass in English in my head to remember where we were at (including all the parts where Dad and I would play music), and I watched the old lady near the front for my cues when to stand, sit, or kneel.
After mass, we packed up, checked out of the hotel and took the Metro to the train station. The lady at the ticket window was fantastically rude to us, and did the absolute bare minimum to help us. We had some questions, but she made it clear she wanted nothing more to do with us. She told us just to take our ticket to the train and get on. Well, that wasn't all we needed. As we found out while en route to Orvieto, we were supposed to write in the date on our ticket before boarding, or pay a 50 Euro fine. Fortunately, the man checking our ticket on board let us off with a warning, but thanks, ticket-window lady, for warning us!
The trip was hectic, as we were feeling very helpless in a foreign land. Our experience at the train station in Rome was (hopefully) the low point of the trip. People were rude and impatient and we just wanted to find a corner and hide in it. Fortunately, Orvieto changed everything.
Some of you have been kind enough to tell us what a good job we're doing in describing our trip. But for Orvieto, I don't think we can write eloquently enough to paint a truthful picture. It was heaven. The Funicolare brought us up the hill to the ancient-looking city full of cobblestone alleyways and views of the valleys of Tuscany. The bus took us on a short trip to the center of town - the Duomo. The cathedral here will probably be the smallest of all the ones we'll visit, but it made the biggest impression. The outside is ornately decorated in green, red, and white marble, and the inside had early rennaissance frescoes along every wall. In a side chapel there was a cloth stained with blood that had miraculously dripped from the Eucharist. After about a half hour inside, we sat at a table just across the piazza and had gelato and a glass of the local Orvieto Classico wine.
Next up was a tour of a couple of ancient Etruscan caves. Cut into the soft volcanic stone under the city, there are about 1,200 different caves on the hill. The first one we saw was originally an Etruscan temple that had since been expanded out to make room for an olive press. We saw the mill on which the olives were squished and the press where the olive oil was then pushed out from the mix. There was also a deep and narrow well, about 90 meters long. It was dug by some brave Etruscan 3000 years ago. He had to climb down and up the full length of the well using rough notches he carved in the side as hand and footholds. The rest of the cave was simply a quarry, dug by hand, for material for making concrete.
The second cave was a series of columbaria's - pidgeon coops. The citizens of Orvieto used to raise homing pidgeons here for food. The coops were just large caves with hundreds of little holes dug out of the sides to create rooms for the pidgeons to sleep. Steep and scary staircases led from the surface down to here.
After the tour we walked around town, trying to avoid the tourist-packed main street, and taking artsy pictures in the back alleyways. We found a couple of shops and got some good souvenir shopping done. We stopped back at the hotel for a nap, then back out again for dinner.
On our way to a restaurant we spotted earlier, we saw an interesting lighted sign for "Il Mago di Oz" - The Wizard of Oz. A very kind old man invited us in and we couldn't believe our eyes. It was a magical little toy store, filled to the brim with mechanical inventions of amazing creativity. Although he didn't speak any English, the Mago could tell how fascinated we were, and proceeded to put on a display. He began flipping switch after switch, and all the ornate creations sprung to life. There were carousels modeled after Coney island that turned around and around, Carnival rides from England that sang songs, and a reproduction of the Ferris wheel in Moscow that lit up. To name only a few! Then he showed us the piece that floored us. It was a tiny stage, and the curtains pulled back to reveal miniature ballerinas dancing to Tchaikovsky's March from the Nutcracker. The set was a faithful reproduction of the real one. The curtain closed and we applauded, but he gestured for us to keep watching. The curtains opened again and the set had changed, and now new ballerinas twirled to the Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy. There were four scenes in all, including the Russian Dance and the scene with the lady with the huge dress. Now I need to save up the money to have him build one for our family!
We were almost drunk with joy as we left his place, and it was just a short walk to the restaurant - Trattoria del Grotto. Here we were welcomed warmly by the two old men running the place. We ordered a mixed appetizer of Salami, Bruschetta, and Prosciutto. We decided to be daring with our entree selections. Emily had the Ravioli with Black Truffle Sauce. And I went with something I would only find in Oriveto: Piccione alla Olive - Pidgeon in Olive Sauce! The meals were amazing. Our server was kind enough to recommend a well-paired red wine for us and we sat and talked and tried our best to soak in every aspect of this paradise town. After helpings of Tiramisu and a complimentary shot of Limoncello, we paid our bill and headed back to the hotel. Now the main street was calm and quiet, and we walked home in the dark. Behind us we heard someone call out Signore! We turned to see our server catching up to us. He tried to explain in Italian that they had given us the wrong change at the restaurant, and they actually owed us 10 Euro! We couldn't quite explain our gratitude in English, but we think he got the point. We asked for a photo with him, to help us always remember. Afterwards he gave us hugs and kisses and bid us Buona Notte.
Our hotel was clean and modern and the staff was friendly and helpful. When we informed them of our early morning train, they set about checking bus, Funicolare, and taxi schedules to make sure that we would get there on time. The hotel had the smallest elevator we have ever seen. With both of us in it with our packs on, the hotelier almost couldn't fit in with us. Thank goodness she was a tiny lady!
We set out early in the morning - 6:30 - but realized that no place was open to buy a bus ticket. Orvieto is such a small town anyways, we decided just to walk to the Funicolare and admire the city before dawn. We're glad we did. From there it has been smooth sailing. Right down the side of the hill to the train station, first train to Florence, transfer there (and have the best McDonald's breakfast ever), and now we're on the high speed train to Venice.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
The Communist Underground!
Actually, today was the communists AND underground. After writing our earlier blog, we set out to visit the Zoo, or Bioparco as it's called here. Visiting the zoo in every city we've vacationed in has become a little tradition for us. But upon stepping out of the hotel, we learned that the CGIL parade was over, and now thousands of red clothed Communisti were heading back home across the city. They choked up the entrance to the Metro and clogged every sidewalk. And more disturbingly, they all emanated a sort of anti-American attitude towards us. We were careful not to get surrounded by too many of them at once. Not that we had much reason to worry, but with G20 going on, several groups of drunk teenagers moshing, and a group of Spaniards nearby that were harassing random passersby, we were on guard. The only thing anyone said to us was "Mr. Obama! Where's Obama?" We weren't quite sure how to react to that, so we just kept moving.
Ultimately the masses of people had pushed us so off course that we no longer stood a chance of getting anywhere by foot or public transportation. Also time was becoming a factor, as the sites we wanted to see were all due to close at 6:00 pm. So we got in a cab and prioritized: the bone crypt at Santa Maria della Concezione was #1 on our list. The taxi dropped us off down the street and overcharged us, probably by about 5-10 Euros. But our resolve was weak, so we just paid and hurried away, glad to finally be in a quiet and clean part of town.
Now, for the Underground.
First of all let's backtrack a little and tell you about a site that the four of us visited after the Forum. Although it was free and in plain view of the masses of tourists, the Mamertine prison was nearly empty when we visited. It's the site where St. Peter was incarcerated until his execution. It's said that a well sprung up at the foot of the column he was chained to, so that he might baptize the other prisoners. Now there is a marble altar on the site with an upside down cross on it to signify how Peter met his death. It was subterranean, and had a cold, eerie feel to its darkness. It definitely looked very much the part of a holy site.
Now, the bone crypt doesn't allow photography, not that it stopped many tourists, but it did stop us. It is far more strange and morbid than we can properly put into words, so I'll post a picture of theirs:
Anyways, what we saw here was the bones of roughly 4000 deceased monks from the Santa Maria della Concezione monastery arranged to create macabre chapels in the crypt under their church. Some of the walls had hundreds of femurs stacked on top of each other, chandeliers were made of finger bones, pelvises were placed behind skulls to created winged angels, rib bones provided a canopy under which mummified bodies of monks still in their robes stood, heads bowed. And on the floor, mounds of soil imported from Jerusalem covered even more corpses. Out of all the church basements adorned in bones, this was probably the best we've ever seen!
By now Bioparco was out of the question. It was getting cold and rainy and our feet were killing us. Back to the hotel for dinner and packing suitcases. There was one other site I chose to see but Emily remained behind to rest.
When I was young, I remember our priest telling us of a church on top of a church on top of a church. I've always wondered about it, and today I finally got to see it. The Basilica San Clemente itself was built roughly 1000 years ago, then updated with beautiful mosaics, renaissance portraits, and now modern fixtures. But in the 1860s, an excavation into the foundation revealed that the church was actually built on top of the original church dedicated to Pope Saint Clement, dating from about the year 400. As I walked down the staircase under the church, I had my own breath-taking moment. There it was, an ancient church with frescoes telling of the miracles of Saint Clement and his followers. I was face to face with some of the oldest Christian art on the planet. And the site was preserved and restored so tastefully, everyone couldn't help but speak in hushed, reverent voices as they wandered around in the low light. In the left nave there was an alter to St. Cyril, whose bones were discovered during the excavation and moved to a chapel in the Basilica above. Then, just beyond that, a narrow staircase led down.
Under the church were two ancient Roman buildings, probably dating from the first century A.D. Right about the time the Emperors took over and the Colosseum was built. The first building was the home of consul Titus Flavius Clemens - likely the same person as Pope St. Clement. After his execution, the home was turned into a place of worship of the Pagan god Mithras, and that is how it was upon discovery. There was a Roman triclinium or formal dining room that was fitted with an altar and a statue of Mithras. There were some interesting square columns with Corinthian capitals. The vaulted ceiling showed the faintest memory of the decoration once etched into them. And there was even the preserved alleyway between this building and the next. The next building is thought to have possibly been the Roman mint, or perhaps just housing apartments. In one room there was a natural spring, with cold water gushing out into a modern canal. I ran my hands along the diagonally-arranged brick walls that have stood for 2000 years and tried to commit it all to memory since here also, no photos allowed.
It was hard to say goodbye to the place, and Emily and I may even return together tomorrow after Palm Sunday mass (which we'll be attending at the Basilica). But we'll see. Our time in Rome is just about done, and while it has been wonderful, it's had some downsides as well. Our hotel's restaurant fits all those criteria we listed yesterday for a "Tourist Trap." The food and service are surprisingly poor. Tonight we ate there again simply because we were too worn out to venture out, but as we dined, a young man began playing guitar by our table and singing in Italian. Awkward. When he finished, we said "bravo" and simply tried to ignore him as we resumed our conversation. As we were waiting for our check, the place seemed to empty out, so the young man returned to our table and asked us for a request. After some hassling on his part, he finally got us to say ok to some Beatles. But he left for a moment to talk with the servers, so we dropped two Euros on his CDs and ran out the back door to go buy some pistacchio gelato.
Now we're packing up and heading to bed. Before we go, here are those pictures of the Forum we promised!
Emily in front of some the Arch of Constantine and the Colosseum:
Chris in front of the temple of Antoninus Pius and Faustina:
Visiting in spring was a great idea:
Emily and Mike in front of the temple of Vesta
Aah! Commies!
Arrevederci, Roma
Ultimately the masses of people had pushed us so off course that we no longer stood a chance of getting anywhere by foot or public transportation. Also time was becoming a factor, as the sites we wanted to see were all due to close at 6:00 pm. So we got in a cab and prioritized: the bone crypt at Santa Maria della Concezione was #1 on our list. The taxi dropped us off down the street and overcharged us, probably by about 5-10 Euros. But our resolve was weak, so we just paid and hurried away, glad to finally be in a quiet and clean part of town.
Now, for the Underground.
First of all let's backtrack a little and tell you about a site that the four of us visited after the Forum. Although it was free and in plain view of the masses of tourists, the Mamertine prison was nearly empty when we visited. It's the site where St. Peter was incarcerated until his execution. It's said that a well sprung up at the foot of the column he was chained to, so that he might baptize the other prisoners. Now there is a marble altar on the site with an upside down cross on it to signify how Peter met his death. It was subterranean, and had a cold, eerie feel to its darkness. It definitely looked very much the part of a holy site.
Now, the bone crypt doesn't allow photography, not that it stopped many tourists, but it did stop us. It is far more strange and morbid than we can properly put into words, so I'll post a picture of theirs:
Anyways, what we saw here was the bones of roughly 4000 deceased monks from the Santa Maria della Concezione monastery arranged to create macabre chapels in the crypt under their church. Some of the walls had hundreds of femurs stacked on top of each other, chandeliers were made of finger bones, pelvises were placed behind skulls to created winged angels, rib bones provided a canopy under which mummified bodies of monks still in their robes stood, heads bowed. And on the floor, mounds of soil imported from Jerusalem covered even more corpses. Out of all the church basements adorned in bones, this was probably the best we've ever seen!
By now Bioparco was out of the question. It was getting cold and rainy and our feet were killing us. Back to the hotel for dinner and packing suitcases. There was one other site I chose to see but Emily remained behind to rest.
When I was young, I remember our priest telling us of a church on top of a church on top of a church. I've always wondered about it, and today I finally got to see it. The Basilica San Clemente itself was built roughly 1000 years ago, then updated with beautiful mosaics, renaissance portraits, and now modern fixtures. But in the 1860s, an excavation into the foundation revealed that the church was actually built on top of the original church dedicated to Pope Saint Clement, dating from about the year 400. As I walked down the staircase under the church, I had my own breath-taking moment. There it was, an ancient church with frescoes telling of the miracles of Saint Clement and his followers. I was face to face with some of the oldest Christian art on the planet. And the site was preserved and restored so tastefully, everyone couldn't help but speak in hushed, reverent voices as they wandered around in the low light. In the left nave there was an alter to St. Cyril, whose bones were discovered during the excavation and moved to a chapel in the Basilica above. Then, just beyond that, a narrow staircase led down.
Under the church were two ancient Roman buildings, probably dating from the first century A.D. Right about the time the Emperors took over and the Colosseum was built. The first building was the home of consul Titus Flavius Clemens - likely the same person as Pope St. Clement. After his execution, the home was turned into a place of worship of the Pagan god Mithras, and that is how it was upon discovery. There was a Roman triclinium or formal dining room that was fitted with an altar and a statue of Mithras. There were some interesting square columns with Corinthian capitals. The vaulted ceiling showed the faintest memory of the decoration once etched into them. And there was even the preserved alleyway between this building and the next. The next building is thought to have possibly been the Roman mint, or perhaps just housing apartments. In one room there was a natural spring, with cold water gushing out into a modern canal. I ran my hands along the diagonally-arranged brick walls that have stood for 2000 years and tried to commit it all to memory since here also, no photos allowed.
It was hard to say goodbye to the place, and Emily and I may even return together tomorrow after Palm Sunday mass (which we'll be attending at the Basilica). But we'll see. Our time in Rome is just about done, and while it has been wonderful, it's had some downsides as well. Our hotel's restaurant fits all those criteria we listed yesterday for a "Tourist Trap." The food and service are surprisingly poor. Tonight we ate there again simply because we were too worn out to venture out, but as we dined, a young man began playing guitar by our table and singing in Italian. Awkward. When he finished, we said "bravo" and simply tried to ignore him as we resumed our conversation. As we were waiting for our check, the place seemed to empty out, so the young man returned to our table and asked us for a request. After some hassling on his part, he finally got us to say ok to some Beatles. But he left for a moment to talk with the servers, so we dropped two Euros on his CDs and ran out the back door to go buy some pistacchio gelato.
Now we're packing up and heading to bed. Before we go, here are those pictures of the Forum we promised!
Emily in front of some the Arch of Constantine and the Colosseum:
Chris in front of the temple of Antoninus Pius and Faustina:
Visiting in spring was a great idea:
Emily and Mike in front of the temple of Vesta
Aah! Commies!
Arrevederci, Roma
Rome by Night
Last night the four of us took the Metro up to Piazza Popolo, and began our moonlit stroll. We walked down narrow cobblestone roads lined with storefronts and window displays for Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Bulova, Prada, Fendi, etc. We stopped at the Spanish Steps for some photos, then back along the winding path to Trevi Fountain.
The Fountain was probably the first thing on our vacation that truly took Emily's breath away. The sights and sounds were fantastic. We stayed for a while, taking pictures and tossing coins in the fountain, then we were off to find a restaurant.
Unfortunately, we now know how to spot a tourist trap. Alluring decor, "Combo Meals" on a menu in English, a room full of Americans, and scowling waitresses. And terrible food, it turns out too. Well, now we know, right? We had been warned several times to avoid these places, but nobody really told us how to spot them. We think now that we've experienced it, we're set.
Afterwards, we considered stopping at a tavern or somewhere to wash out the bad taste the restaurant had left in our mouths - literally and figuratively. But it was obvious we were all too tired to go on, so we said goodnight. Emily and I enjoyed a chocolate cake at our hotel restaurant's terrace, then went to sleep.
This morning we met up again, bright and early, to tour the Forum. There were several beautiful places for photographs, as you'll see in tonight's update. While there, we saw the spot where Julius Caesar's body was burned, and the inside of the Curia, or Senate house. On the way back to our hotel, we ran into a parade of CGIL protesters. We're not sure what CGIL stands for, but from the flags they were carrying, it was pretty obvious they were communists. We had lunch on the terrace, watching them march by, waving their red flags, as well as flags of Cuba, USSR, and Che Guevara.
We said goodbye to Emily and Mike, who are now on their way to Venice, and we are going to visit the zoo and the bone crypt. Ciao!
The Fountain was probably the first thing on our vacation that truly took Emily's breath away. The sights and sounds were fantastic. We stayed for a while, taking pictures and tossing coins in the fountain, then we were off to find a restaurant.
Unfortunately, we now know how to spot a tourist trap. Alluring decor, "Combo Meals" on a menu in English, a room full of Americans, and scowling waitresses. And terrible food, it turns out too. Well, now we know, right? We had been warned several times to avoid these places, but nobody really told us how to spot them. We think now that we've experienced it, we're set.
Afterwards, we considered stopping at a tavern or somewhere to wash out the bad taste the restaurant had left in our mouths - literally and figuratively. But it was obvious we were all too tired to go on, so we said goodnight. Emily and I enjoyed a chocolate cake at our hotel restaurant's terrace, then went to sleep.
This morning we met up again, bright and early, to tour the Forum. There were several beautiful places for photographs, as you'll see in tonight's update. While there, we saw the spot where Julius Caesar's body was burned, and the inside of the Curia, or Senate house. On the way back to our hotel, we ran into a parade of CGIL protesters. We're not sure what CGIL stands for, but from the flags they were carrying, it was pretty obvious they were communists. We had lunch on the terrace, watching them march by, waving their red flags, as well as flags of Cuba, USSR, and Che Guevara.
We said goodbye to Emily and Mike, who are now on their way to Venice, and we are going to visit the zoo and the bone crypt. Ciao!
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